Page 57 of Rupture

Could she have stopped this? If things had been different between her and Thea?

The swarm thickened, circling them like a wolf might circle prey. Silently, the men took up position, their broad shoulders forming a barrier around her. Luca and Liev to her left, Ethan behind, and Finn completing the circle. A wall of muscle and determination between her and her sister’s creation. But these men had trained to face human threats, not microscopic ones.

“Remy. We’d really like suggestionsright now,” Ethan gritted out.

“Calculating—”

“Can it hurt us?” Liev whispered.

“I don’t know.” Rose fought to slow her breathing. “It depends on what they’ve been bred for.”

“Christ.” Luca adjusted his pulse rifle, the whine of charging energy filling the air. “Maybe a little extra power will knock some manners into them.”

Rose shoved between the press of male bodies, grabbed the nose of his weapon and shoved it floorward. “You’re more likely to excite them or really piss them off.”

Luca’s eyes narrowed. “You know that for certain?”

She met his gaze, refusing to flinch. “You willing to take that risk?”

“It’s leaving.” Finn’s quiet voice cut through the tension.

The swarm thinned, hovering for one breath-held moment.

Then it was gone.

As if it had never existed.

32

Rose blewout a hitching breath as she climbed out of Thea’s hidden lab.

The swarm was gone, but its absence felt like a taunt, the air still crackling with residual energy.

“We need to find that swarm,” Liev said.

“Agreed.” Ethan lowered his pulse rifle. “But we also need to have an evacuation plan in place.Soon. Remy?”

“I’m currently not detecting any movement within the Io.”

“We split up into two separate groups.” Ethan scrubbed a hand over his chin. “Luca, I need you to go with Rose to the med bay. Rose. I’m sorry. The time for being gentle with your sister is past. We need answers and we need them now.” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Finn, we need your expertise to get the shuttle back to surface-worthy condition ASAP. Liev, you’ll assist. I’m going to contact Nik and see if he’s dug up anything that might help us. Remy, open up all the security doors.”

As Ethan strode away, Luca didn’t wait for furtherinstruction. He spun on his heel, his long legs moving with military precision.

Right there with you, big guy.Rose jogged to catch up before falling into rhythm beside him. His stride along the curved corridor was brisk, almost aggressive. Emergency lighting cast alternating patterns of shadow and weak reddish light across their path. They needed to get everyone out of this habitat safely and soon.

“You think your sister is going to talk?” Luca’s voice held a razor edge.

“I have no idea.” She checked over her shoulder, half-expecting to see the swarm’s dark cloud tracking them. Nothing but metal and glass. She faced forward again, her hands clammy.

“Maybe let’s not give her the choice.”

“You think it’s that simple?” Rose came to an abrupt halt, forcing him to stop and face her. “You think threats will make her cooperate? This isn’t one of your interrogations, Luca.”

He stepped closer, using his height to loom over her. “No? Then what do you suggest? More hand-holding with Finn while we wait for your sister to have an attack of conscience?”

She squared her shoulders even as heat bloomed her cheeks. “My relationship with Finn is none of your business.”

“It becomes my business when it compromises my team. He’s not thinking straight where you’re concerned.”

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